Brick kiln on croplands damages Boro on 50 acres
Toxic gas from a brick kiln set up close to agricultural lands damaged standing Boro paddy on 50 acres of land belonging to nearly one hundred farmers in Nazirpur upazila during the last two weeks.
Moreover, a large number of fruits bearing trees including litchi trees were also affected by the toxic gas emitted from the brick kiln at Sachiya village under Malikhali union in the upazila.
Affected farmers said several farmers of the village cultivated Boro paddy on around 50 acres of land, but toxic hot gas from the brickfield totally damaged their crops.
If the paddy did not get damaged during this time of the cultivation period, they could have harvested the crops within the next two to three weeks, farmers said.
"Around a week ago, farmer of the village suddenly noticed that their standing paddies on vast tracts of land were gradually turning blackish," farmer Protish Dutta of the village said.
Not only Boro paddy but many fruits bearing trees were also affected by the toxic gas from the brick kiln, another farmer Sanatan Choudhury said.
A number of farmers of the village said usually they can cultivate only Boro paddy once in a year as the entire area is geographically a marshland and remains waterlogged round the year.
"I have cultivated Boro paddy on several bighas of land by taking loans from different NGOs and local money lenders," farmer Milton Bala said, adding that he does not know how he will repay the loan and bear his family expenses throughout the year.
Local farmers alleged that there is brick kiln along the bank of the Madhumoti river at the village and Malikhali Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Mohammad Ruhul Amin alias Bablu Daria is its owner.
"During the brick burning season this year, the brickfield owner burnt huge quantity of coal and wood," farmer Sanjeet Kumar said, adding that the excessive heat generated from the brick kiln spread all over the village and affected the standing crops and other fruit bearing trees.
"The toxic gas from the brick kiln has damaged a huge number of fruits at my litchi orchard," fruit grower Uttam Bala said.
While talking UP Chairman Bablu Daria claimed that the paddy fields were not damaged due to the toxic gas from his brick kiln, rather it has been affected due to the ongoing heat waves.
"I have been running the brick kiln for the last 20 years, but none has raised such allegation before," the UP chairman added.
Recently a team from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute's Gopalganj Regional Office visited the spot and they did not found sign of any disease or natural calamities behind the crops damage, Nazirpur Upazila Agriculture Officer Esratunnesa Easha said.
"Primarily we assume that the toxic gas from the brick kill has affected the nearby paddy fields and other fruit bearing trees," she said, adding that the brickfield has been constructed close to agricultural lands, violating the Brick Kiln Establishment Act. If the ongoing heat wave is the reason behind the crops damage, symptoms would have been visible in other areas as well, she further said.